Methodology: The national average credit card APR is comprised of 100 of the most popular credit cards in the country, including cards from dozens of leading U.S. issuers and representing every card category listed above. Introductory, or teaser, rates are not included in the calculation.

Average
rates on new card offers remained unchanged this week, according to the
CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report.

The
national average annual percentage rate (APR) idled at 15 percent Wednesday for
the third straight week.

None of
the issuers tracked by CreditCards.com introduced new terms. That includes
changes to promotional balance transfer offers and introductory APRs.

For the
third week, Chase advertised a shorter promotional period on the Chase Freedom
card. However, Chase is still offering a longer promotion to some applicants.

Depending
on where you access the card's application online, you may be offered a 0
percent APR on balance transfers and purchases for 15 months. Or, you could be
offered a less generous promotional period that lasts for just 12 months.

Previously,
applicants who visited the Chase website were only offered a 15-month promotion
for the Freedom card.

Balance transfer offers less
generous
According
to new data from the market research firm Mintel Comperemedia, Chase isn't the
only card issuer experimenting with shorter promotional offers.

The
average interest-free period on promotional balance transfer offers mailed
directly to consumers' homes, for example, fell slightly last month, according
to an analysis of Mintel data by the financial
services firm Credit Suisse.

It was
the second consecutive month that issuers trimmed the amount of time consumers
could take advantage of interest-free balance transfers.

Consumers
who apply for an offer they receive by mail now have an average of 14.2 months
to take advantage of a 0 percent balance transfer offer -- down from an average
of 14.7 months in February.

Issuers
were much more generous in January, giving consumers an average of 17 months to
take advantage of an offer -- up from an average of 14.4 months in December.

The
average balance transfer period is currently at its lowest point since June
2012. However, it's not clear if that's just a temporary dip or if card issuers
are getting serious about trimming offers.

Despite
the slightly shorter promotional offers, issuers are relying more heavily on 0
percent balance transfer deals to lure new customers. According to Credit
Suisse, 71 percent of the credit card offers mailed to consumers' homes last
month -- 224 million total -- contained some type of 0 percent balance transfer
deal. That's up from approximately 219 million offers the year before.

Issuers
are also sending out a generous number of offers containing a 0 percent APR on
purchases. However, they're not sending out nearly as many 0 percent purchase
offers as they did last year. For example, the number of offers containing a 0
percent APR has fallen, year-over-year, from approximately 262 million to 240 million.

Overall,
issuers are investing more money in direct mail marketing than they did last
year, despite the tighter offers for some cardholders. For example, the total
number of offers mailed to consumers' homes is up 2 percent, compared to March
2013.

That
indicates that issuers' appetite for new cardholders is increasing -- thanks in
part to a substantially improved economy. However, the less generous terms that
are accompanying some offers underscores just how cautious issuers still are
about the amount of risk they're willing to take on new cardholders.

Job market picks up, GDP
tumbles
The
economy, meanwhile, is continuing to gain traction. But a new report, released
April 30, shows that it's still not strong enough to withstand some forceful
blows, such as this year's unusually cold winter.

According
to advance estimates from the Commerce Department, the economy grew by just 0.1
percent in the first quarter of 2014, thanks in part to fewer investments and
exports.

During
the unusually cold winter, businesses invested substantially less in new goods
and equipment and they also exported fewer goods and services.

Consumers,
meanwhile, increased their spending by approximately 3 percent, helping push
the overall GDP
number up. However, previous reports have indicated that consumer spending
would have been higher this quarter if the severe winter weather hadn't kept so
many people at home.

Despite
investing less this winter, businesses are ramping up their hiring, according
to a second report, released April 30.

According
to the payroll processor ADP, private sector businesses added approximately
220,000 new jobs to the economy between March and April -- the most they've
added since November 2013.

"The
220,000 U.S. private sector jobs added in April is well above the 12-month
average," said ADP's Carlos Rodriguez in a press release. "Job growth appears to be
trending up and hopefully this will continue."

In
March, employers added 209,000 new jobs to the economy -- up from 193,000 in
February and 121,000 in January.

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CreditCards.com is an independent, advertising-supported comparison service. The offers that appear on this site are from companies from which CreditCards.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within listing categories. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and the likelihood of applicants' credit approval also impact how and where products appear on this site. CreditCards.com does not include the entire universe of available financial or credit offers.